6 New Restaurants To Visit This October
Mo Diner, Soho
Mourad Mazouz, the Algerian restaurateur behind Sketch and Momo, has opened a new dining experience on Heddon Street. A new take on the 1930s diner, Mo Diner is a blend of Mediterranean dishes and traditional Los Angeles diner culture. Mourad has designed the interiors himself, enlisting the assistance of artists for specific elements: the ceiling is covered with palm tree-lined lightboxes; the floor is covered with acid yellow Moroccan tiles; NYC-based arts documentary photographer Hugo Scott has contributed 50 framed works; and French Chinese artist Yue Wu has created a 360º galaxy of hand-drawn artworks to the staircase. Under the eye of Michelin-starred chef Éric Chavot, the kitchen kicks off at noon with an all-day menu. Guests will find sea bream with sauce vierge, tomato and olives; and duck confit with pomegranate and shallots. The drinks list offers an old-school diner experience via milkshakes, smoothies and alcoholic hard shakes. Best of all, the bill comes with a ‘Mo Lotto’ scratch card that allows winners to walk out leaving the bill unpaid.
23 Heddon Street, West End, W1B 4BH
Visit MoDiner.London
Berberè Pizzeria, Clapham
Matteo and Salvatore Aloe, the brothers behind Italy’s much-loved Berberè Pizzeria, have opened their first UK outpost. Founded in 2010, Berberè is rooted in the brothers’ desire to serve simple pizza in well-designed spaces, and it fast become a favourite in the home of pizza, with sites in Rome, Florence and Milan. Just off Clapham High Street, the new site’s interiors retain the pizzerias’ signature look, making best use of the glass-fronted space with exposed white-brick walls and flashes of colours throughout. The focal point of the restaurant is the open kitchen, giving diners the chance to watch pizzas being whisked straight from the oven. Alongside classic margherita, marinara and napoli pizzas, diners can choose from the ‘Spicy Diavola’ with spicy salami and ’nduja, and ‘Aubergine’ with baked aubergine, homemade basil and walnut pesto and smoked ricotta. To finish, desserts include classic tiramisu and sweet dough balls deep fried and filled with vanilla gelato and peanut butter. The drinks list offers negroni and spritzes, plus natural wines and digestivi.
67 Venn Street, Clapham, SW4 0BD
Visit BerberePizza.it
Barrafina Mariscos, Covent Garden
Barrafina’s Drury Lane site has relaunched as Barrafina Mariscos. The menu, created by Barrafina’s executive head chef Angel Zapata Martin, showcases the best produce from Spanish and British waters cooked in classic Spanish methods. Angel works directly with fishermen to bring in a sustainable, hard-to-come-by daily catch then create a menu that changes in accordance with what comes in. The fish will be served whole and grilled on the Josper for those who wish to share, or filleted and cooked on the plancha for individual dishes. Fish on offer might include San Alfonsino, a bright red deep-water fish rarely tasted outside Spain or Portugal; Besugo, from the mid-Atlantic with tender, white flesh; or Scorpion fish, which is venomous when alive but not poisonous to eat –it’s actually rather meaty and sweet. As a point of difference to the other Barrafinas, the wine list here – which was created by Robin Hart and Rafa Martin – will not be exclusively Spanish.
43 Drury Lane, Covent Garden, WC2B 5AJ
Visit Barrafina.co.uk
Bermondsey Larder, Bermondsey
Robin and Sarah Gill’s The Dairy has found a new home in Bermondsey, following the recent closure of the much-loved original. A firm favourite in Clapham Old Town for seven years, The Dairy was Robin’s first solo opening and the place where he established his produce-led cooking style. Located near foodie hotspots Maltby Street Market and Borough Market, Bermondsey Larder will follow much of the same focus as its predecessor. A new menu includes Willie’s mackerel with dilled fresh gherkins, sea purslane and dashi; grilled radicchio with broad bean purée and pickled tropea onions; and wood-roasted lamb with ‘hayonnaise’, charred lettuce and mint oil. Diners can also count on some old favourites, such as salted caramel with malt barley ice cream and cacao. The wine list will continue to focus on natural wines, rare gems and small producers.
153-157 Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey, SE1 3LW
Visit TheDairyBermondsey.com
Behind, London Fields
Behind is the first restaurant from chef Andy Beynon, who was formerly development chef for Jason Atherton’s portfolio of restaurants. In the arches of London Fields, Behind offers a modern counter dining experience, with guests seated at an expansive semi-circular counter, from which they can enjoy watching dishes being prepped and plated. The eight-course, fish-focused tasting menu – available in one sitting at 7pm from Tuesday to Saturday – will include dishes like oyster taco with gentleman’s relish; native lobster muffin; roasted hake with cockles and sherry; and chocolate, pine and ricotta. There will also be a lunchtime sitting with a more concise menu for £42 per person.
20 Sidworth Street, London Fields, E8 3SD
Visit BehindRestaurant.co.uk
Noble Rot, Soho
Noble Rot Soho has taken over the former site of The Gay Hussar. It’s the second restaurant from Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew, the duo behind Noble Rot magazine and Keeling Andrew & Co wine importers. The menu is overseen by head chef Alex Jackson (ex-owner and head chef of the much-loved Sardine, which closed during lockdown) and executive chef Stephen Harris of The Sportsman in Kent. It includes dishes such as black figs, tomatoes and ricotta salad; chalk stream trout with braised peppers, creme fraiche and basil; and whole roast chicken with morels and vin jaune to share for two. The wine list brings more of what helped the Lamb’s Conduit Street original win ‘Wine List of the Year’ at the National Restaurant Awards for three consecutive years. From the much-loved house vinho verde ‘Chin Chin’, starting at £3 per glass, to the rare wines of Jacques Selosse and Auguste Clape, whether you’re a casual drinker or an obsessive oenophile, this place is rather special.
2 Greek Street, Soho, W1D 4NB
Visit NobleRot.co.uk
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